War of words between Congress, SAD hots up

Chandigarh: With the Punjab Assembly Election approaching, the war of words between Punjab Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has got intensified.

The party leaders have been levelling allegations and counter allegations on issues like drugs menace, interstate water dispute, demonetization and many others.

While Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Chief Capt. Amarinder Singh and other party leaders have been accusing Badal government for its “failure to curb drug menace” in Punjab and alleging that Akalis have been “promoting and peddling drugs” in the state.

But, the SAD supremo and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal claims that the problem of drugs is not so acute as blown out of the proportion to defame Punjab.

He even got a study conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Science, Faridkot, on the menace. On the basis of study reports Sukhbir Badal claimed that only 1.27 per cent (4,501 out of 3.76 lakh youth), were found to be taking drugs in Punjab.

The Congress even had targeted the SAD for the alleged involvement of its senior leaders, including revenue minister Bikram Majithia and Sarwan Singh Philaur, who had been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for their alleged involvement in a drug racket.

The leaders of both the parties are now at loggerheads on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue and accusing each other for not saving the Punjab waters.

The SAD patron and Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy have been accusing PPCC Chief Capt. Amarinder Singh for inviting former Prime Minister of India Late Indira Gandhi to loot Punjab river waters.

Countering the allegations, former Chief Minister and Punjab Congress head Capt. Amarinder Singh said that Akali Dal was responsible for reorganisation of the State in 1966, leading to water and other disputes between Haryana and Punjab.

He added that the then Punjab Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh in November 1976 lodged the first formal protest against apportionment of river waters with the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi but Parkash Singh Badal, in 1978, got two notifications issued for acquisition of land for the SYL Canal on 20th February 1978.